The Art and Scienceof Alliance

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Alliances and other strategic collaborations among companies are on the rise. More and more companies find such collaborations essential, not only to keep up with the frenetic pace of global business, but to grow. Alliances develop new products. Alliances capitalize on cutting-edge trends in science and technology. Alliances provide access to emerging markets and profitable new business areas.

Today, successful alliances and other collaborations can be found in the technology sector, pharma-ceuticals and biotechnology, telecommunications, insurance and financial services, manufacturing

and consumer products, media and entertainment, and many other industries. Cisco Systems, IBM, Xerox, Lilly, Novartis, and Verizon are just a few of the many companies that have formed successful alliances to achieve specific business purposes.

For most companies, the question is no longer whether to ally, but how to do it right. The answer starts with the Association of Strategic Alliance Professionals.

“Alliance conductors craft a compelling business plan, get executive buy-in up and down the chain of command, and work with business units and salespeople to execute.”

Steve Steinhilber, Vice President of Strategic Alliances, Cisco, from Strategic Alliances: Three Ways to Make Them Work

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Why Strategic Alliances?n No one company has the resources or in-house

expertise to accomplish all of its goals. n No company excels in every core competency

that is critical to its business today – or its survival tomorrow.

Companies need alliances to:n Refresh their business models in response to

emerging marketplace challenges and trends, including increasing globalization and changing customer demand.

n Fill product gaps more cost-effectively and at lower risk.

n Penetrate elusive but lucrative

customer segments.n Access technology or expertise not

available in-house.n Increase efficiencies – e.g., reduce production

costs, streamline manufacturing processes, improve supply chain integration, accelerate delivery of products and services.

n Enable the collaboration required for successful research and development.

According to PwC, less than half of executives say their companies perform thorough due diligence before entering into formal collaborative relationships.

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Why ASAP?Many companies’ senior management teams have only vague notions, if any, of the alliance manage-ment profession. Too many are not aware that – like accounting and finance, marketing and sales, project management, and IT – alliance management is a sophisticated discipline that requires highly specialized skills as well as an internal and external support structure.

Yes, companies increasingly recognize the impor-tance of collaboration. Yes, more and more alliances are being formed. Still, most companies and indus-tries are not yet dedicating the resources required for successful collaboration. Worldwide, more than half of all alliances do not deliver the intended benefits. Thus the companies involved in such collaborations need to take steps to improve their success ratios.

Strategic alliance management fosters innovation that maintains competitiveness. It manages the challenges of doing business today while positioning for tomorrow. It fundamentally drives company-wide financial impact.

A study of alliances managed by ASAP members demonstrates higher success rates for those gov-erned by ASAP’s strategic alliance management thinking and best practices.

Since 1998, the Association of Strategic Alliance Professionals has been the only professional mem-bership association dedicated to alliance formation and management. In fact, ASAP is the only orga-nization that delivers the three imperatives of the burgeoning alliance management profession:n Knowledge and resources – the unique

history, leaders and experts, best practices, outcomes, lessons learned, and other critical factors involved in strategic alliance and collaboration management.

n Education and professional development – in the art and science of alliance management.

n Networking and community – a worldwide network of experienced alliance professionals.

Fifty percent of respondents to a PwC survey describe external collaboration as “important” or “very important” to their firms. Only one-third of companies offer some form of alliance training, and fewer than 15 percent have offered any form of curriculum, according to Booz Allen Hamilton.

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ASAP Can Help You – and Your Companyn ASAP is the only organization that helps its

members drive alliance success beyond the signing of the deal – in other words, when value is realized.

n Access to ASAP’s blueprint for alliance success helps companies utilize alliances strategically to innovate, grow, and create value.

n ASAP’s programs and resources help you know when to partner, whom to partner with, and how to do it right.

n ASAP helps alliance professionals advance their careers by showing senior management their true value – including their impact on the bottom line.

n ASAP helps alliance professionals communicate the value of alliances to senior management and their executive board, leading to better strategic decisions and dedication of sufficient talent resources to ensure alliance success.

As strategic collaboration becomes a necessity for most companies and industries, alliance manage-ment experience and expertise become essential for business success. Alliance expertise and experi-ence also are emerging as prerequisites for individual advancement. ASAP is the one organization that puts it all together.

n The most successful individual alliance managers are ASAP members.

n The companies that have proven themselves most adept at collaboration – companies like Abbott, CA, Cisco, Dell, HP, IBM, Lilly, Novartis, sanofi-aventis, SAS, and USAA – are active ASAP members and sponsors.

n ASAP’s webinars, research studies, case studies, and educational tools provide definitions of alliance management, skill sets, job descrip-tions, metrics, and other resources.

n ASAP’s alliance know-how is applicable to com-panies and industries that are now embracing alliance management – such as the consumer packaged goods sector – as well as those with greater experience in the discipline – such as pharmaceutical and technology companies.

At every level, ASAP members are able to refine their alliance management practice in line with changing market dynamics.

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Professional Development: The ASAP Difference Professional development – education and training in the art and science of alliance management – puts ASAP in the forefront of the discipline of business collaboration.

ASAP’s certification program brings credibility, sets standards, and illustrates the value of the alliance manager.

ASAP, working in conjunction with its membership, gives alliance professionals both tactical and strategic tools to do their job – as well as the “hard” and “soft” skills necessary to practice what has been called “a scientific art form.”

ASAP and its members define a concrete develop-ment path that crystallizes the skills needed to advance an alliance professional’s career.

With the combination of educational events and publications, its certification program, and the expertise of its active membership, ASAP is the only organization that teaches the myriad skills needed for alliance success.

Networking and Community:ASAP’s Worldwide ConnectionsASAP’s local chapters, councils, and its many networking events and opportunities provide an essential professional and personal support foundation for practitioners.

Membership in ASAP provides critical intellectual and social support for alliance practitioners.

ASAP best practices and professional networking apply across industries – technology, pharma-ceuticals, financial services, and health care are among the many industries represented within ASAP’s membership.

Intra- and cross-industry networking enables new business expansion, while ASAP’s job bank and informal networking create employment oppor-tunities and attract the best and brightest to the profession.

Alliance profession best practices – what’s been learned, successes, failures, and other critical informa-tion – are shared through ASAP events, speakers, and personal interactions.

ASAP is a global organization that connects alliance-minded businesses and practitioners across international borders.

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Meeting of the Minds: ASAP’s Global SummitASAP’s annual Global Summit is the only gathering of the world’s top alliance professionals. It is the world’s leading conference for gaining valuable insights into how to improve individual and organizational alliance management practices.

ASAP’s Global Summit provides:n Professional development and trainingn Dedicated networking opportunities n Updates on the latest trends and best

practices in the strategic alliance professionn Outstanding keynote speakers, workshops,

roundtables, and panels n Complimentary executive coachingn An opportunity to take the CSAP

(Certified Strategic Alliance Professional) certification exam

BioPharma ConferenceASAP’s annual BioPharma Conference is the only industry conference that immerses you in the skills, techniques, and practices that help you and your organization make alliances a core competency and a competitive advantage. Designed and run by biopharma alliance practitioners and experts, the ASAP Biopharma Conference offers unsurpassed networking and candid knowledge exchange.

ASAP: The Future of Alliance ManagementASAP is the premier forum worldwide for alliance professionals to share information and further refine their discipline – and ultimately to enhance the bottom line and competitiveness of their organizations.

No other organization provides the knowledge, resources, training, and community to help strate-gic alliance professionals advance in their careers.

ASAP is the only organization dedicated to helping businesses of all sizes master the essential art and science of strategic alliance management.

“An alliance manager is part diplomat, part salesperson, part strategist, part entrepreneur, part coach and mentor.”

Jan Twombly, CSAP, The Rhythm of Business

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ASAP Chapters around the WorldASAP’s worldwide network of chapters provides opportunities for professional development and face-to-face networking for strategic alliance professionals. Whether you work in biotech, the pharmaceutical industry, IT/communications, financial services, professional services, manufacturing, or public/private partnerships, getting involved with an ASAP local chapter will help you connect with your professional peers.

U.S. Chapters:* California

Colorado

Midwest

New England

Pacific Northwest

RTP (North Carolina)

Texas

Tri-State/New York

Southeast/Atlanta

Washington D.C., Metro/Mid-Atlantic

U.S. Satellite Communities:*

San Diego (California Chapter)

Minnesota (Midwest Chapter)

Canadian Chapter:*

Toronto

European Chapters:*

BeNeLux (Belgium, Netherlands,

and Luxembourg)

Scandinavia (Denmark, Finland,

Norway, Sweden)

UK

France

International in Formation:*

Asia Pacific

Spain

*as of January 2011

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Global SponsorshipGlobal Sponsorship is ASAP’s highest level of membership and provides the best value-to-investment option. ASAP’s Global Sponsors serve as the organization’s thought leadership brain trust. Additionally, these members leverage their relationship with ASAP as part of their overall business development plans. ASAP’s Global Sponsors are the lifeblood of the organization.

CouncilsCouncil membership is open to all members of ASAP in good standing.

The BioPharma Council is the first council to be organized for, and managed by, strategic alliance professionals in the biotechnology and pharma-ceutical industries.

The ASAP IT Community is a global community of strategic alliance professionals in the IT and commu-nications industry.

The mission of the Academic Council is to provide a platform for cross-fertilization between the academic and business communities within the field of strategic alliances.

The Collaboration Innovation Council is a learning and discussion forum that explores the mindset, skillset, and toolset of collaborative inno-vation by drawing upon participants’ experiences, insights, and research.